Howard urges return to individual bargaining

Former prime minister John Howard says industrial relations policy has slipped backwards since he left office, and urged the Opposition to return to the issue.

Transcript

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: Former prime minister John Howard says industrial relations policy has slipped backwards since he left office and urged the Opposition to return to the issue.

The Government says it's more evidence the Coalition is planning to resurrect Mr Howard's controversial WorkChoices laws, but Tony Abbott says he won't revisit the past.

Political correspondent Tom Iggulden has more from Canberra.

TOM IGGULDEN, REPORTER: Tony Abbott's been spending lots of time in Queensland of late and today he was looking in on a mine near Mackay and a young aspiring welder.

Mr Abbott's been courting blue collar voters who were scared off by the Coalition in the 2007 election by John Howard's WorkChoices policy. Now Mr Howard's dipping back into the debate.

JOHN HOWARD, FORMER PRIME MINISTER: The one area where we've gone backwards is IR and I think that's a great shame and I think as time goes by, the consequences of that will become greater.

TOM IGGULDEN: The former prime ministerís comments were recorded at a closed-door business forum earlier this month admitting some aspects of WorkChoices were a mistake, but backing his earlier workplace policies.

JOHN HOWARD: There's no reason why this country should not go back to the workplace system we had between 1996 and 2005 where you had individual contracts. I hope that in their own way the Coalition returns to this issue.

TOM IGGULDEN: The Workplace Relations Minister gave his summary of Mr Howard's contribution.

BILL SHORTEN, WORKPLACE RELATIONS MINISTER: WorkChoices wasn't so bad and it should be brought back.

TOM IGGULDEN: The Opposition Leader downplayed the comments.

TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: John Howard is two prime ministers ago. John Howard is three Liberal leaders ago.

TOM IGGULDEN: But Tony Abbott is promising to make changes to industrial relations policy if he wins government and has said there are problems with the Government's individual flexibility agreement system.

BILL SHORTEN: Mr Abbott needs to make explicit: does he support what Mr Howard is saying with statutory individual contracts, or doesn't he?

TONY ABBOTT: I think these agreements need to be made more workable, but there's no going back to the past.

TOM IGGULDEN: The Government's pressing Mr Abbott for details of what he'd do.

BILL SHORTEN: Now is time for Mr Abbott to bring it on, to bring on the workplace relations debate that we have to have.

TOM IGGULDEN: Meanwhile, there's been a slight bump in the Government's latest poll numbers, the Nielsen poll now giving Labor a 32 per cent share of the primary vote, up two points, and putting Julia Gillard just a whisker ahead of Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister.

Despite the good news, the Prime Minister dodged the waiting media today and gave little away when they caught up with her.

TONY ABBOTT: If you want to look at a poll, look at the Northern Territory poll: a classic example of how bad governments get punished.

TOM IGGULDEN: The Labor government in Darwin lost the weekend election despite a warning that a conservative government would cut public services. But in Queensland, a Galaxy poll suggests there's been a dramatic plunge in support for LNP Premier Campbell Newman.

CAMPBELL NEWMAN, QLD PREMIER: It's been great to be here at the Queensland ballet for the last two days.

TOM IGGULDEN: Who chose an unusual venue for a cabinet meeting to finalise public service cuts in his state ahead of next month's budget.

CAMPBELL NEWMAN: Other politicians would have gone to a plush resort. We've gone to a government building in West End.

TOM IGGULDEN: The cool public response to Mr Newman's austerity will catch federal Labor's attention. Tony Abbott has plans to reduce the Commonwealth public service.

CAMPBELL NEWMAN: He understands exactly what we're trying to achieve because I've taken him through it. And he's very understanding, and indeed he and people like Joe Hockey have been incredibly supportive.

TOM IGGULDEN: Unlike the public service unions.

Tom Iggulden, Lateline.

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